Poppies on top in the snow

FT: Tamworth 13 Kettering Town

23 February 2010

Gary Mills made one enforced change to the side that suffered defeat in the FA Trophy on Saturday with Iyseden Christie suspended and the other change was Seb Lake-Gaskin who took a place on the bench with Alex Rodman making a return to the starting eleven.

Kettering got the game underway with Tamworth attacking the Meadow Street end.Wylde started the game at left back with Blackwood in the left of midfield in a 4-4-2 formation and inside the first few seconds a Lambs defender put the ball behind for a corner which Alcock had to cover out of play and from the right sided flag kick, Sheridan eventually got the ball clear.Blackwood got a good cross from the left wing into the area on 3 but Kettering cleared and on 5 Alcock nipped the ball off the toes of Appiah as he tried to close down a back header.A foul gave Shaw a freekick 25 yards out slightly left of centre on 6 which was headed away then at the other end Chris Smith booted a low ball from Wrack on the right of the box away from danger which brought a song from the away end.A Poppies corner in the next move saw Dempster win a free header at the back of the box and was unlucky not to find the target, watching it go past the far post and out.With the snow flurries getting heavier as the minutes ticked by, the visitors pegged The Lambs back for a while but when the ball fell to Pritchard inside the 18 yard box and on the turn he somehow missed the target as it whistled past the left hand post with Abbey beaten.Alcock made a great save to deny a turn and shot in the area by Dance on 14 and from the corner the ball was worked out to Hadfield who struck from distance but a deflection took it just over the bar for another flag kick which was wasted.Then on 16 Appiah brought another good save from Alcock, but he could only parry the ball down and Appiah mopped up to slot home from 8 yards. (0-1, 16 mins).Dance picked up a good ball over the Lambs defence on 18 and crossed into the box but Hadfield put his first time effort high over the bar .On 20 it was 2-0 to the visitors, this time Jay Smith turned the ball into his net when Wrack fired low into the area from the right.A good move down the right wing involving three Lambs players ended when the Poppies defence cleared Sheridan's final ball into the area and on 26 a foul on Rodman allowed Briscoe to fire the ball into the box from his own half but a game of head tennis ensued before the ball was knocked out of play.Dance glanced the ball off Wylde for a corner on the left on 29 which Pritchard booted clear when Roper found his header denied and another corner was won via Dance which Chris Smith headed back to Alcock.Tait got a shot away just past the half hour mark after interplay by Pritchard and Rodman set him up on the right wing but Abbey was more than equal to the low ball, and the Kettering keeper gathered Shaw's half volley from 30 yards on 32.Hadfield picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Chris Smith in the centre of defence on 34 but Rodman's flick on from Alcock's freekick ran through to Abbey at the other end.Anothe good move across the middle of the park saw Sheridan fire a right wing cross in looking for Rodman but Abbey gathered at height.Alcock then had to make a good low save from Dance who turned his marker in the box and fired right footed for goal and a foul on Wrack 20 yards out set up Kettering with a freekick on 38 which Alcock saved at the second attempt.After Kettering had finished causing havoc in the Lambs defence, a quick run and shot from Rodman in the centre went a few yards wide of the mark from 25 yards on 40.Chris Smith then picked up a booking on 43 for a challenge on the touchline against Taylor but Kelly's freekick was headed high over the bar from 10 yards.Shaw won a freekick 35 yards out as one minute added time was shown but it was wasted and Kettering cleared easily shortly before the half time whistle blew.

HT: Tamworth 02 Kettering Town

Tamworth kicked off the second half towards the Castle End having made two substitutions in the break - Lake-Gaskin and Murdock coming into the fray for Briscoe and Pritchard.With the players now leaving tracks on the field in the snow Murdock was booked for diving in the area on 48 when it looked more like he had been brought down for a penalty.A poor pass by Jay Smith in the middle of the park allowed Dance to run through from almost the halfway line and slot the ball around Alcock for Kettering's third of the evening on 50. (0-3, 50 mins)Shaw tried a shot on the volley on 56 but it rose over the bar from 20 yards out and a freekick was given away by Taylor on the half way line on 59 for kicking the ball away.Tait head the ball away from danger from a Kettering freekick on the right wing on 62 and Appiah left the field after going down under a challenge on 66 and then proceeded to try and sprint into play from off the field when a long ball went into the Lambs half but the referee was wise to the move and awarded a freekick Tamworth's way.The Lambs won their first corner of the half on 68 but it was hoofed away and Lake-Gaskin tried his luck from the left wing on 69 but Abbey watched it go out past his far post.Kettering made their first change on 76 and a quick free kick following a foul on Blackwood saw The Lambs have a foray forward but there was no end product and one-time Lamb Robinson on for the visitors.And Robinson almost netted with his first touch only to see his angled drive from the right of the box denied by Alcock's feet.A foul on Rodman on the halfway line sparked a few choice words amongst the players and it took the referee and his assistant to calm things down before the freekick could be taken which earned Tamworth a corner which Chris Smith headed home from inside the area shortly before Lyttle replaced Rodman (1-3, 83 mins).Lake-Gaskin curled the ball into the area from the right but there was no one to push it home and Abbey watched it slide out past his far post and at the other end Noubisse tried his luck with a similar effort which also curled out past the opposite post.As the game neared conclusion three minutes added time were shown and a freekick was awarded to Tamworth on the right and when Lyttle's header fell for Wylde a yard from goal he put the ball over the bar and chance from Shaw failed to beat Abbey as the final whistle blew.